Farrington Field nominated for Register of Historic Places. What that means for its future
The 82-year-old Farrington Field, a centralized athletic complex owned by the Fort Worth school district, and Billingsley Field House will be considered by the State Board of Review for a spot on the National Register of Historic Places on Saturday.
When Austin resident Evan Farrington heard that Historic Fort Worth submitted the nomination, he wrote a five-page letter addressed to the Texas Historical Commission’s State Board of Review in favor of the nomination.
Farrington is the grandson and namesake of E.S. Farrington, who the field is named after. E.S. Farrington coached the North Side High School football team and in 1923 became Fort Worth ISD’s first athletic director, Evan Farrington said.
His grandfather had a vision to bring Fort Worth ISD students together for physical activities in an all-public-schools stadium.
“It was kind of his dream to have the stadium,” Evan Farrington said.
After working 10 years to get district approval for the stadium, his grandfather died from a heart attack just days after the project was given the green light. Evan said his father turned the first spade of dirt in 1938 for the constriction of the stadium and threw the first football at its dedication in 1939.
Since its completion, some of the nation’s legendary athletes have played on the field — Pro Football Hall of Famers Yale Lary and Earl Campbell and the Mighty Mites to name a few.
Today, Farrington Field faces Fort Worth’s Cultural District, its exterior frieze bas-relief sculptures and art deco style columns appearing like its own museum exhibit.
“It certainly deserves recognition on the National Register of Historic Places and now that it’s getting this recognition, let’s start talking about what its future might be,” Evan Farrington said. “Let’s at least have a discussion.”
The school district announced its intention to sell 18 properties in 2019, which included the historic Farrington Field. Plans at the time consisted of redeveloping and repurposing the Farrington Field complex and constructing a new administration building and potentially two football stadiums, according to a previous report by the Star-Telegram.
Barbara Griffith, Fort Worth ISD senior communications officer, said Friday that the district has no new plans for the complex. Moving forward, she said, there will be engaged community discussion about what can be done before any steps are taken.
Jerre Tracy, Historic Fort Worth executive director, said Farrington Field makes for the perfect nomination to the National Register of Historic Places because of its history and extraordinary appearance.
If added to the register, the complex would not be protected from demolition like a local landmark designation would grant, but it could help attract buyers interested in preserving aspects of the structures, Tracy said.
In December 2019 the Star-Telegram reported North Texas-based Bennett Benner Partners was the architectural planning firm working with the school district to develop potential plans for a mixed-use technology and business center in the majority of the existing space. Farrington Field’s frieze and columns would be preserved.
Bennett Benner Partners has done work around Fort Worth, and was recently awarded for restoration designs of the historic brick horse and mule barns at the Stockyards.
Michael Bennett, Bennett Benner Partners president and CEO, said while plans for Farrington Field have been temporarily paused, his firm will most likely continue its partnership with the district when the project picks back up again.
Although he’s against tearing down the stadium, Evan Farrington said he’s open to discussions on how to utilize the complex while preserving its history. Evan said one way could be to replace an existing parking lot with a paid parking garage open to the public, making the city money while becoming a go-to spot for people visiting the Cultural District.
“Farrington Field is really special,” Evan said. “Before you tear it down, let’s talk about all possible ways to save it and integrate it into a modern sports complex.”
This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
